The 15 Best Places to visit in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a very small country and one that people think you just need a day or weekend at the most to visit, but there are many great places to see when visiting Luxembourg and not just within the capital, Luxembourg City.

When I visited, I rented a car from the airport and spent 3 days travelling around the countryside, visiting many of the small towns and castles and even did some hiking in the eastern side of the country.

It is a beautiful country and a place that you should consider spending more time, here are my favourite 15 places to visit in Luxembourg.

a river running through a valley, with a large stone wall that looks very old to the left and some white buildings to the right of the river. To the left of the river are stepped bankings for growing crops and in the distance a lot of trees

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Table of Contents

1. Luxembourg City The Old Quarter

Obviously a trip to Luxembourg would not be complete without spending some time in the capital Luxembourg City. There are different districts within the city, from the new modern area where you will find the European Parliament to the old town where you will be able to see evidence of the walled city that was there.

The old quarter of Luxembourg City became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994 as they wanted to protect one of Europe’s greatest fortified sites. Due to the steep rocky outcrop that it is built on, it is the perfect defensive location and it was had forts on the site since the mid 10th century and over the centuries has kept been added to.

Nowadays we can walk around the Corniche de Chemin, the walkway around the edge of the city and enjoy the views into and across the valley.

The old quarter is very beautiful and here you will find the main square, the palace and main museums to explore.

There are many things that you can do in Luxembourg Old Quarter by yourself or on a tour, from walking tours to the hop on hop off bus.

2. Luxembourg Cathedral – Notre Dame Cathedral

The Notre Dame Cathedral started its life as a Jesuit Church in 1613, but then in 1870 it was renamed by the pope, The Notre Dame Cathedral.

The crypt of the Cathedral is where you will find the final resting place of previous Grand Duchesses and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.

It has beautiful gothic architecture, though inside you will find it is not colourful, rather the natural stonework has been left, the columns though through the cathedral have beautiful carvings on them.

Also take time to look up and admire the vaulted ceilings. The stained class windows bring some colour into the cathedral and also attract your attention when you walk in.

The cathedral is located opposite the Place de Constitution and close to the Adolphe Bridge.

3. Bock Casemates

The Bock Casemates stand under where the original castle was built and originally covered an area of 23km. They were built in 1644 by the Spanish as a way of depending the castle above, though over the years have been widened to what we see today.

In 1994 the bock casemates as part of Luxembourg old town were made a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you plan on seeing Luxembourg in one day, then you need to make sure to visit this site.

Nowadays you can visit and explore a short section of the casemates, and look out at The Grund below, the area of the city where the River Alzette and even see part of the Chemin de Corniche (the wall that surrounded the city).

It is amazing to imagine that during a war that people would be firing cannons from within that area and even when they surrendered, it was never actually breached and was nicknamed the “Gibraltar of the North”.

4. Vianden Castle

a castle perched on a rock crop above a town, there is a roof on the castle and you can see turrets, there are a lot of trees on the hill around the castle

Vianden Castle Luxembourg is the most popular place to visit outside of Luxembourg City, the castle that we see today, started to be built in the 11th century though it was abandoned, sold off and eventually became ruins.

In 1977 it was sold to the state who then started restoration work, to what we can see today. Now you can visit the restored castle, with some rooms furnished to show you how it once looked. The castle is open all year except 25th December and 1st January.

If you like castles, then you will enjoy visiting Luxembourg as there are over 100 castles in Luxembourg.

While you are in the town of Vianden it is worth walking around exploring the old town that has existed since the 11th century too and you can also take a chairlift above the castle to look down at the amazing views of the valley and the castle.

5. Echternach

Echternach is the oldest town in Luxembourg and lies close to the border with Germany. Here you can start many different trails, with the most famous being the Mullerthal Trail which in total is 112km long.

There is lots to see and do here even if you don’t want to do one of the hiking trails. You can visit the ruins of a Roman villa that dates back to the 3rd century, The Abbey of Echternach that was founded in the 7th century or walk around the ancient town walls. You can even stay in one of the towers of the ancient wall, or in one of the old hotels in Echternach.

6. Bourscheid Castle

Bourscheid Castle was one of the first castles I visited in Luxembourg and from the car park it looks like quite a small castle, though once you enter you realise that it is actually one of the largest in the country.

It is 150 metres above the River Sure and has enclosed by a wall with 11 watchtowers, though nowadays you can only see the turrets on 4 of them.

Parts of it have been restored and you are able to get an audio guide to learn more about the castle, though the majority of it is ruins.

The views of the valley below are stunning and on an evening the castle is lit up.

7. Esch-sur-Sure

Esch-sur-Sure is a beautiful little town with a river surrounding it in a horse shoe shape, in the centre of the town on a hill above the town is the ruins of an old castle built in the 13th century, which you can visit for free.

It is a great town to just walk around and explore the tiny streets or you can enjoy a picnic along the river. Another great thing to do is to cross the river and climb the hill opposite to get an amazing view of the town through the trees.

Just cross the river and take the first street on your right, at the end you will find a footpath that you can follow to see the view.

8. Larochette

Larochette Castle is located just a 10 minutes walk from the centre of Larochette on a hill overlooking the town. It was built in the 11th century but nowadays is a ruin, though one of the buildings has been restored to give you an idea of how it would have looked in the past.

It is worth visiting and exploring and seeing the views of the town and valley below it. The town itself used to be an industrial town with cloth mills along the river bank. Nowadays most of the evidence of this has gone, though you can find about the history of the town in the museum in the old railway station.

9. Beaufort Castle

the ruins of a castle, you can see the walls of the castle with a round tower with no roof or glass in the windows, it is surrounded by grass and trees and has 2 flags on the walls

At Beaufort you will find 2 castles, a renaissance castle that can only be visited by a pre booked tour and the ruins of the first castle on the site that was built in the 11th Century.

You will get a leaflet with a little history of the medieval castle while you are exploring. The castle is located in a beautiful and peaceful area of Luxembourg and was one of my favourite places to visit in Luxembourg. It is certainly one of the top days trip from Luxembourg City.

If you decide to hike part of the Mullerthal Trail then you will find Beaufort Castle on route 3.

10. Mullerthal Trail

The Mullerthal Trail is 112km and goes through the Mullerthal region which is nicknamed as Luxembourg’s little Switzerland. It is split into 3 circular trails of around 38km. I did about 22km of route 2 and it was mostly walking through woods and rock formations.

Route 1 takes you around Echternach and the villages close by before returning to the river and back to Echternach.

If you choose route 3 it is mostly rock formations, stream valleys and castles. You will see Beaufort and Larochette Castles.

11. The Moselle Valley

The Moselle Valley runs through both Germany and Luxembourg and is known as Luxembourg’s wine region, with the river running through the valley and Luxembourg on one side and Germany on the other, the views are just stunning.

The vineyards in Luxembourg are found alongside the river in a strip of just 300-400 metres wide, though it is 42km long from the town of Schengen in the south to the town of Wasserbillig.

Here you can enjoy the many vineyards, wineries and cellars. If you want to do something in between all that wine tasting then visit the nature reserve of Haff Reimech, The Butterfly Garden or the Folklore Museum.

12. The Ardennes

Located in the north of Luxembourg, the Ardennes has the largest lake in Luxembourg and two nature parks for outdoor enthusiasts to explore.

The Lake of the Upper Sure, just 1km from Esch-Sur-Sure where you can relax at the beach or swim in the lake.

The region of Clervaux is the Ardennes and has many hiking trails, you can also explore the many museums too, as this part of Luxembourg was the place of the Battle of the Bulge.

A good time to visit is in Autumn, when you can enjoy the changing colours of the leaves.

13. Bourglinster

the entrance to a castle, there are huge walls around the castle and you can see a few turrets and a tower, there is a path up to the entrance and grass and trees around the sides of the walls

Bourglinster Castle is located in the town of Bourglinster about 17km from Luxembourg City. The town is a small town with a few hotels and restaurants, with one of the restaurants being in the castle.

You are only able to enter the castle if you are planning to enjoy a meal in the restaurant, though you can walk around the castle and grounds outside for free. The castle is impressive looking and definitely worth a visit and a walk around the grounds.

14. Clervaux

The town of Clervaux has a castle and abbey that you can visit. The castle is in the centre of town and houses 3 museums which you can pay to visit. You can walk into the courtyard of the castle for free as this is where you enter the museums.

The town also has an abbey on top of a hill overlooking the town, just walk up past the church and you can either take the road or the path behind the church and you will come out by the abbey, which is free to visit.

15. Wiltz Castle

Wiltz Castle is now the National Museum of Brewing, it was built in 1573, though it does look more like a big house than a castle. It is free to walk around the grounds, if you do visit the town of Wiltz and want to see the castle.

Wiltz Castle also hosts an international music festival every year for 3 weeks in late June/July.

FAQ about Places to visit in Luxembourg

What is the most visited places to visit in Luxembourg?

The most visited place in Luxembourg is the Old Quarter in Luxembourg city. A lot of visitors will come on a day trip to Luxembourg from nearby cities or on a weekend trip.

Which cities to visit in Luxembourg?

The most popular cities in Luxembourg are Luxembourg City, Vianden, Echternach, Diekirch and Larochette.

Are you still planning your trip to Luxembourg? You might find these guides useful:

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